I'm guessing my first step would be to make a list of my job options and go through and apply for those one-by-one. Sorry if I seem a bit needy, but could someone suggest the options that come to mind? I know I need to get some books on specialized teaching, like for SpEd and Dyslexia. I could also apply to be an online teacher, and I could interview via Skype for jobs in other states.
There are a few things I need to do:
Get some teaching competence. To be honest, I don't feel like I know a lot about the kind of teaching my district requires. The only teaching I've done was directly out of a teacher's edition of a textbook. I didn't make up my own stuff. I incorporated it into the lessons here and there, but I admit that I would have been totally lost if I would have had to make up my own material. My lessons don't flow when I make my own things up. I skip several steps because I think they are common sense, and then I'm bewildered when the students act like they have no idea what to do.
Capitalize on my strengths. I'm best working with students one-on-one in a very structured environment. I like getting into routines and doing the same kind of work over and over. I also love learning and explaining things to people.
Get better at interviewing I really haven't done great on interviews with potential employers. I wasn't really prepared. I looked over interview questions, but I was so nervous that I didn't remember a lot of my answers. Interviews make me so nervous that sometimes I just wish they would be over.
What I'm hearing is that you're not particularly "in tune" with your students. You're thinking at the college level instead of thinking about what your students need /anticipating where they're going to have trouble. I remember having trouble with this at first -- but you should've had some experience with this in student teaching. You MUST be able to do more than read the textbook and cover those lessons.
You sound like you know yourself well in saying that you work well with a small number of kids in a structured environment. I do think ESL or special ed would be a better fit for you than a traditional classroom, and those areas are RED HOT. If you can't get a job in one of those areas, something is wrong.
What I really think you're saying is that you stink at classroom management -- and everyone does at first, though student teaching should've helped you pick up some skills. As a classroom teacher, it is ESSENTIAL that you are able to multi-task and be in control of your classroom. You have to be able to admit a kid to class /read his excuse note, while walking towards the phone that's ringing, and while shooting a death stare to stop the kid who's tossing paper at his friend across the room . . . ALL WHILE not missing a beat of your lesson. When you're talking about K-12 teaching, any reasonably intelligent adult should know the material, but it's this multi-tasking that "gets" new teachers. Let me put it this way: Someone is going to be in charge of your classroom, and if YOU don't step up and take that position, one or more of your students WILL take charge -- and things won't be pretty.
80% of your success as a teacher is predicated on being able to manage your classroom, and a lot of that is about having the right personality /temprament. How do you "get there"? You practice. In a classroom, and since you're subbing, that's good. Every single day you need to work on getting a little bit better.
OK, so I'm going to be brutally honest, but this little list concerns me. I have taught 7th and 8th grade English for 16 years and have supervised quite a few student teachers during that time. Being effective in the classroom often comes down to personality: a willingness to "wing it," to take calculated risks, to interact with large groups of kids, to manage occasional chaos, to challenge kids, to figure out what isn't making sense and to meet the kids at that point, etc. Being a good student doesn't mean you will be a good teacher. Loving your subject also doesn't translate into teaching it well.
It sounds to me like you might enjoy tutoring or teaching in/with an online school. If you are doubting your ability to create a presence in the classroom, then a classroom of forty kids might not be a good fit. Teaching adult school, becoming a travelling teacher for sick kids, or becoming a resource specialist (RSP, a component of Special Ed) might be a better fit.
Also, just to show you what's out there, my district has multiple openings pretty much all the time: http://www.teachinla.com/
I'm thinking the same thing. I've seen plenty of people over the years who had no trouble earning a degree and who went through student teaching . . . but they didn't thrive. Those also tend to be the people who don't get jobs. As I said above, you really have to have a certain personality type to be a classroom teacher, and if you don't have it, you may be able to fake it for a bit . . . but you're not going to be comfortable, and you're not going to be successful long-term.
HOWEVER, if you don't have the classroom teacher personality, you can still work in education. Online learning is becoming a huge field, and it's completely different from classroom teaching. That is probably the most possible inroad for the OP. Other options could include working with textbooks or a testing service. However, those options tend to go to the classroom superstars who are looking to do more.
(Did not read any replies-sorry if repeated info) With a master's, you should be able to get a side gig teaching at a community college or even become an adjunct at a larger college.
I do know a number of classroom teachers who ALSO teach at the community college, but -- again -- they tend to be the classroom superstars. I don't know any community college teachers who don't have experience elsewhere first.
